Contester's Rate Sheet for January 15, 2003
*********************** Contester's Rate Sheet 15 January 2003 *********************** Edited by Ward Silver, N0AX SUMMARY o Contest from DC to Daylight -- NAQP Phone and VHF Sweepstakes this weekend! o IARU HF Championship results available o 115 days until the Florida QSO Party 2003 o First YL Operators list o Gel-Cell Battery derating o Vitamin T BULLETINS o Be sure to check the correct date and time as shown below for the ARRL VHF Sweepstakes -- there were a couple of glitches in QST's printed info. BUSTED QSOS o I'm sure that owners of TS-50's were surprised to learn that their rigs had a secret VHF/UHF capacity as I reported in the Conversations section last time. Maybe a little wishful thinking on my part! ANNOUNCEMENT & NOTICES FOR 15 JANUARY TO 28 JANUARY 2003 Logs are due for the following contests: o January 15 - CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW - email to: cw@cqww.com, paper logs to: CQWW CW, CQ Magazine, 25 Newbridge Road, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA o January 15 - Six Club 1st Winter Contest - email to: sixclub@6mt.com, paper logs to: Six Club, PO Box 307, Hatfield, AR 71945, USA o January 15 - ARRL 10-Meter Contest - email to: 10meter@arrl.org, paper logs to: 10 Meter Contest, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111, USA o January 15 - OK DX RTTY Contest - email to: milos@testcom.cz, paper logs to: Czech Radio Club, OK DX RTTY Contest, PO Box 69, 113 27 Praha 1, Czech Republic o January 17 - Great Colorado Snowshoe Run - email to: contest@cqc.org, paper logs to: Snowshoe, c/o CQC, PO Box 371883, Denver, CO 80237-1883, USA o January 19 - Russian 160-Meter Contest - email to: contest@radio.ru, paper logs to: Radio Magazine, Seliverstov per. 10, Moscow 107045, Russia o January 21 - Croatian CW Contest - email to: zmaticic@inet.hr, paper logs to: Hrvatski Radioamaterski Savez, for Croatian CW Contest, PO Box 149, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia o January 22 - AGB NYSB Contest - email to: eu1eu@qsl.net, paper logs to: Igor "Harry" Getmann, EU1EU, PO Box 143, Minsk, 220005, Belarus The following contests are scheduled: Note that the following abbreviations are used to condense the contest rules summaries: SO - Single-Op; M2 - Multiop - 2 Transmitters; MO - Multi-Op; MS - Multi-Op, Single Transmitter; MM - Multi-Op, Multiple Transmitters; AB - All Band; SB - Single Band; S/P/C - State/Province/DXCC Entity; HP - High Power; LP - Low Power; Entity - DXCC Entity ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes - 1900Z Jan 18 - 0400Z Jan 20. Frequencies: all bands above 6-meters. Categories: SO --LP/-HP/-Portable, Rover, MO, Limited MO. Exchange: Grid Square. QSO Points: 50/144 MHz -- 1 pt, 222/440 MHz -- 2 pts, 902/1296 MHz -- 4 pts, 2.3 GHz and above -- 8 pts. Score: QSO Points x Grid Squares (counted once per band), Rovers include Grid Squares from which they were able to complete a QSO. For more information -- http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2003/01vhfss.html. Logs due Feb 19 to januaryvhf@arrl.org or January VHF Sweepstakes, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. North American QSO Party - Phone - sponsored by the National Contest Journal from 1800Z Jan 18 - 0600Z Jan 19. Frequencies: 160 -- 10-meter bands. SOAB-LP and M2 categories with max power 100 W, operating a maximum of 10 hours (off times must be at least 30 min and M2 entries may operate the entire contest). Exchange name and SPC. Score is QSOs x States + Province + NA DXCC entities (count each once per band). For information - http://www.ncjweb.com/naqprules.html. Logs must be emailed or postmarked by Feb 18 to Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, 4225 Farmdale Ave, Studio City, CA, 91604, USA or ssbnaqp@ncjweb.com MI QRP Club January CW Sprint - 1200Z Jan 18 - 2400Z Jan 19. Frequencies: 160 - 6-meters. Categories: SOAB with classes A (<250 mW), B (<1 W), C (<5 W), D (>5W). Exchange: RST, SPC, and MI-QRP number or power output. QSO Points: MI-QRP members - 5 pts, non-member W/VE - 2 pts, DX - 4 pts. Score: QSO points x SPC counted once per band. If homebrew RX or TX, multiply by 1.25. If both RX and TX are homebrew, multiply by 1.5. For information - http://www.qsl.net/miqrpclub. Logs to n8cqa@att.net or L. T. Switzer, N8CQA, 427 Jeffrey Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073-2521, USA LZ Open Championship - CW - sponsored by the LZ1KPP Radio Club from 1200Z - 2000Z Jan 18 on the 3.5 and 7 MHz bands only. Categories: MS, SO, and SO-QRP. Exchange: 6-digits, serial number and serial number received in previous QSO. E.g. - the first QSO exchange is '001 000'. A station can be worked once every 30 minutes. QSO Points: same entity - 1 pt, different entity - 2 pts. Score: total QSO points. For more information - http://www.qsl.net/lz1fw/lzopen/index.html. Logs due 30 days after the contest to lz1fw@yahoo.com or LZ1KPP - Radioclub, PO Box 79, Sofia 1606, Bulgaria. HA DX Contest - CW - sponsored by the Hungarian DX Club from 1200Z Jan 18 - 1200Z Jan 19 on the 160 - 10-meter bands. Categories: SOAB, SOSB, MS, MM, and SWL. Exchange: RST and serial number, HA stations send county or HADXC member number. QSO Points: Own DXCC entity - 1pt, same continent - 1 pt, different cont - 3 pts, HA stations - 6 pts. Score: QSO points X HA counties and members on each band. For more information - http://www.mrasz.hu/engver/mraszen.html. Logs due 30 days after the contest to contest@enternet.hu or MTTOSZ, Gyôr Városi Rádióclub, 9200 Gyôr, PO Box 79, Hungary. 070 PSKFest - sponsored by the Penn/OH DX Society (PODXS) from 0000Z - 2400Z Jan 18. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters. Categories: SOSB-QRP, SOAB-QRP, - MP (<50W), -HP. Exchange: RST and SPC. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points X SPC counted only once. For more information - http://www.podxs.com/html/pskfest.html. Logs due Feb 18 to PSKFest@aol.com or spdomingue@aol.com or Steve Dominguez N6YIH/7, 5657 Elkhorn Ave, Boise, ID 83705-2817. CQ WW 160-Meter Contest - CW - sponsored by CQ Magazine from 0000Z Jan 25 - 2359Z Jan 26 (Phone is Feb 22 - 23). Exchange: RST and SPC. Categories: SO-QRP (<5 W) -LP(<150 W) -HP, MO categories. New rules - SO may operate only 30 hours and the DX window has been dropped. Enter as MO if packet or spotting nets are used. QSO Points: own entity - 2 pts, same continent - 5 pts, diff. cont. - 10 pts, /MM stations count 5 points, but no multiplier. Score: QSO points X states + VE call areas (VY0 added this year) + DXCC entities (KH6 and KL7 count as DXCC only). For more information - http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/infoc.html. Logs due by Feb 28 to cq160@kkn.net or CQ 160 Contest, 25 Newbridge Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. REF French Contest - CW - sponsored by the Reseau des Emetteurs Francais, 0600Z Jan 25 - 1800Z Jan 26 (Phone is Feb 22 - 23). Contact French stations including Corsica, Overseas Territories, and EU Council station TP2CE. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters. Categories: SOAB, MS, and SWL. Exchange: non-French stations send RST and serial number, French send RST and department number or prefix. QSO Points: different continent - 3 pts, 1 pt otherwise. Score: QSO points X departments and prefixes counted once per band. For more information - http://www.ref.tm.fr. Logs are due Mar 15 (CW) or April 15 (SSB) to f5lbl@ref-union.org or Reseau des Emetteurs Francais, REF Contest, BP 7429, 37074 Tours Cedex, France. UBA Contest - Phone - sponsored by the Royal Union of Belgian Amateur Radio from 1300Z Jan 25 - 1300Z Jan 26. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters, according to the IARU band plan. Categories: SOAB, SOAB-QRP, SOSB, MS, packet is allowed for all classes. Exchange: RST and serial number, ON stations add their province abbr. QSO Points: QSOs with ON stations - 10 pts, with other EU - 3 pts, outside EU - 1 pt. Score: QSO points X ON provinces + ON prefixes + DXCC entities counted once per band. For more information - http://www.uba.be. Logs due 30 days after the contest to berger@cyc.ucl.ac.be or Michel Le Bon, ON4GO, UBA HF Contest Manager, Chée de Wavre 1349, B-1160 Bruxelles, Belgium. BARTG RTTY Sprint - sponsored by the British Amateur Radio Teletype Group from 1200Z Jan 25 - 1200Z Jan 26. Frequencies: 80 - 10-meters. Categories: SO-Expert, SOAB, MO, and SWL. Operators with a Top Ten log in the past three years must enter as an Expert. Exchange: serial number only. QSO Points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points x DXCC entities + W/VE/JA/VK call areas + continents counted only once. For more information - http://www.bartg.demon.co.uk/. Logs in Cabrillo format due 1 Mar to ska@bartg.demon.co.uk with the call and entry class in the subject line and the log included as an attachment or by mail to John Barber GW4SKA, PO Box 611, Cardiff, CF24 4UN, Wales (only logs with 50 or fewer QSOs may be submitted as printed logs). NEWS & PRESS RELEASES Last time I mentioned that WSJT 3.0 would be out when the manual was ready. Well, it's ready - at http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. (Thanks, Jim AD1C) Scott N3FJP has upgraded his contest logging software to include DX Spotting features. Visit http://www.n3fjp.com for more info. Scott's software also supports the January VHF Sweepstakes coming up this weekend. All ARRL contests have a Web-based "Soapbox" submission page, now. Do try to check it out and contribute your own text and photos. The recent Straight Key Night page at http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/?con_id=45 is good reading and there is a terrific photo of VE3WMB's 1948 Eddystone bug -- bet you don't have one of those! The Michigan QSO Party now has its own Web site at http://www.miqp.org. It has quite a list of features and functions, so stop by! (Thanks, Mark NU8Z) RESULTS AND RECORDS The results of the 2002 IARU HF World Championships are available to anyone as a PDF of the full results article, including full line-scores at: http://www.iaru.org/contest.html or http://www.arrl.org/contests/results. This file includes all information that was previously available in QST and on the Web in past years. ARRL Members may also the expanded Web article and database. On the awards front, plaques for the ARRL June VHF QSO Party are being readied for shipment -- look for them in early-to-mid February. (Thanks, Dan N1ND) The results of the RSGB Jubilee Contest are now available on the HFCC Web site -- http://www.rsgbhfcc.org. (Thanks Justin G4TSH, Chairman RSGB HF Contests Committee) Weigh those fish! The Salmon Run (Washington QSO Party) results are posted at the Western Washington DX Club's Web site - http://www.wwdxc.org/salmonrun/. (Thanks, Jack WA0RJY) The results of the TOEC contests for both 2001 and 2002 are now ready and can be found at the TOEC Home page at this address - http://www.qsl.net/toec/results.htm. (Thanks, Jon, SM3OJR, TOEC Contest Manager) Here's a record for you -- the very first YL operator! Timo, OH1NOA, contributes the following excellent list - http://www.qsl.at/down/woman.rtf. The list begins in 1909 with the first YL callsign ("FN") in 1910. TECHNICAL & TECHNIQUE If you have trouble with animals chewing on wire, coax, or control cables, a substance known as "Bitter Apple" is commonly available at pet stores for discouraging such behavior. In farm country, the various preparations used to keep horses from chewing on fences and stalls (known as "cribbing" -- see, you learn something new everyday!) are also useful. Other possible preventative measures involve PVC pipe or electrical conduit. Certain options involving the use of firearms or high voltage sound attractive, but aren't recommended. Some handy info on the temperature dependence of gel-cell batteries was contributed by Jim Duffy (a.k.a. -- Dr. Megacycle) KK6MC in case you're wondering about how to power the rig during the "Freeze Your Butt Off" FYBO Winter Field Day on Feb 22nd or the "Burn Your Big Butt Away" BUBBA Field Day in August: "The Amp-Hour (AH) rating is usually based on a 20-hour current draw until the battery is completely discharged (about 10 V) at 77 F. The discharge curve has a "knee" in it between 10.6V and 10.8V, where the time discharge curve becomes very steep, so it is probably best to limit the discharge to 10.6 to 10.8 volts where about 90% of the battery's capacity has been used. If the discharge rate is greater than the 20 AH rate, then the capacity is also reduced. At the 10-hour rate it is reduced by about 10%, at 5 hours by 20% and at 2.5 hours by about 40 %. For Field Day, when the temperature is 77 F, you will get full rated capacity. At FYBO, when the temperature is 32 F, you will only get 85% of the 77 F capacity out of the same battery. On the other hand at BUBBA, when the temperature is 104 F, you will get 105 % of the capacity. In addition, it is difficult to fully charge a lead acid cell using a constant voltage. Usually the battery is only about 85% charged (although chargers that are designedspecifically for gel cells do better. So if you limit the discharge to 10.8 V, discharge at a 10-hour rate, use the battery at 32 F, and charge with a constant voltage, the capacity is decreased by a factor of (0.9)*(0.9)*(0.85)*(0.85) or 0.58. So that 18 AH battery, under those conditions, is really a 10.5 AH battery!" I also got a kick out of Mark AD5CA's use of surplus aluminum street-light poles. I'm sure we've all pondered what those things would look like with some RF illuminators on top. http://www.starc-corpuschristi.org/News/Projects/AD5CA%20Tower%20Project/ad5ca_tower_project.htm If you've ever wondered where to find a specific piece of ham gear, you can look up most companies that sell amateur products on the TISFIND database at http://www.arrl.org/tis/tisfind.html. You can search the database by company name or product type. (Thanks, Ed W1RFI) Owners of MFJ-1025/1026 Noise Cancellers may be interested in the following article describing modifications thereupon - http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/special/mfj1026.html. If you are not familiar with the Hard-Core DX Web site, it is aimed at the AM BC DX-er, but has an Imperial ton of good low-band receiving information. Well worth becoming a browser bookmark! CONVERSATION Vitamin T -- Good For What Ails You Those ever-more-useful Reported Score bulletins from Bruce WA7BNM's Web site (http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/) now include team efforts. If you are patient with the scrolling key, you can now marvel at the sheer number of team efforts in contests like this past weekend's CW North American QSO Party. (The Phone version is this weekend.) I counted 51 teams -- yes, 51 separate teams -- surely an all-time high. I was part of the Boring team -- that's the Boring, Oregon Amateur Radio Club,wise guys. Team contesting -- in the CQ WW, in the NAQP, in the Sprints -- is HOT! When so many clubs are having trouble getting people to the meetings, we seem to be catching on (again) to the idea that working together is fun. Duh! Not only does it motivate you to get on for the contest and keep sharp, but it helps connect you to the other radiosport aficionados out there. You have something to share, someone to compete with or against, and a group effort to take pride in. This must be fun -- the Tennesee Contest Group registered 7 teams alone, followed by the Florida Contest Group with 5, and several with 4. Club contesting has been around for a long time and is quite popular. The members all contribute their scores to the pot and the club totals go head to head. All well and good, but it can get a little impersonal when the number of members in the pot can be dozens. Teams on the other hand have five or fewer members. Everyone is visible, everyone's score counts -- we all enjoy the results. Even if you're from an area of the world that isn't particularly competitive for a certain contest, you can still form a team and try to whack the stuffings out of another local group! I highly recommend that if you haven't tried being part of a team, yet, that you respond to one of the pre-contest team-building solicitations on the CQ-Contest email reflector or in your local contest club newsletter. If you didn't see them, then start your own team. Give it a funny name (I sometimes put together the "Watt Me Worry" team of Low-Power ops in the Sprint.) and challenge the smart-alecks in the next county that beat you in the state QSO Party. Care to wager a pizza or two? If you're feeling like you could use some extra contest spark, then team contesting might just do the job. Take a little "Vitamin T" and see if you don't have a better time next weekend! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Contester's Rate Sheet wishes to acknowledge information from the following sources: WA7BNM's Contest Calendar Web page - http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/ ARRL Contest page - http://www.arrl.org/contests/ SM3CER's Web site - http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/
